Combination electric switch.



Y. BURGESS.

COMBINATION ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION PILEI) MAY 11, 1912.

Patented Sept. 30, I913.

AUX/now Imfe nlor Erie Burgess.

STATE PATENT @FFIUFQ.

YORKE BURGESS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COMBINATION ELECTRIC SWITCH.

I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, YoRKE Bunenss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invent-ion relates to improvements in combination electric switches and has for its general object to provide an electrical switch having a series of knobs or handles to be placed in definite relation, by being manipulated according to a pre-determined combination, in order to close the circuit.

More specific objects of my invention are to provide a switch particularly adapted for.

operation in low voltage circuits, such as the ignition circuit of an automobile, and involving in its construction but a small variety of parts simple in construction, cheap to manufacture and easy to assemble.

In the drawings whereinI have illustrated an embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a front view of a combination switch; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof, with a cover removed; Fig. 3 is a transverse sect-ion on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a section oniline 4- 4: of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a detail of a movable switch contact; Fig. 6 is a detail of one of the combination handles; Fig. 7 is a detail of the ratchet.

In the construction shown 10 indicates in general an insulating base upon which is mounted a contact receiving plate 11, also of insulating material in which the fixed switch contacts are located. The switch handles or knobs for the combination are preferably four in number, and so at four distinct points in plate 10, preferably atfour corners of a rectangle, there are pro vided metallic bushings 13, each extending, preferably, through the insulating base 10 and plate 11 to project beyond such plate. Each of said bushings 13 makes metallic contact wit-h a corresponding contact strip of which four are provided as indicated at 14,

14;, 14, and 14, each of said strips 14*, 14",

14; extending from its local bushing inthe direction of and nearly to, the next adjoining bushing in a pre-determined series, and the contact strip 14;, extending away from its bushing to act as a terminal, receiving in permanent connection therewith a line wire 15 of a suitable circuit. A contact li is provided near contact 141*, but disconnected Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 11, 1912.

. Patented Sept. 30, 1913. Serial No. 696,563.

therefrom and to such contact 14 is con nected the opposite line wire 15. The broken contact arrangement through the switch thus takes the form of the letter U interrupted adjacent each bushing 13. By stamping out the insulating plate 11 and making the contact strips 14, etc., which are of equal thickness with the plate, to fit in the stamped apertures therein, the contact base may bevery easily and cheaply constructed.

Upon the inner end of each bushing 13 is mounted a corresponding ratchet 16, of insulating material, having any suitable number of radially projecting teeth 17, (herein shown as six) separated by recesses 18. Pins 19 may be employed for securing such a ratchet to the insulating base structure. Each ratchet is so arranged that one only of its peripheral recesses 18 registers with the cont-act strip next in order of succession to the bushing on which the ratchet is mounted.

In electrical connection with each bushing I provide a rotatable stem 20, which as shown in Fig. 6, preferably provides a po lygonal body 21, having as many faces as there are ratchet teeth, a cylindrical throat 22, and tapered extension 23, upon which may be secured a suitable knob or handle 24. The stem-throat may be inserted through the corresponding bushing from the inside of the insulating plate,that is-the side upon which the contact members are exposed the cylindrical portion 22 fitting in the bushing 13 for rotation, and the hexagonal head preventing outward withdrawal, of

such stem.

Upon the hexagonal portion of each stem is mounted a movable contact member 25, preferably constructed as shown in Fig. 5 to provide a body portion 26, having an hexagonal aperture 27 to inter-lit in any one of six positions, with hexagonal body of the stem, and having a project-ing contact finger 28, bent downwardly a suitable distance and at a suitable angle to ride easily over the teeth of the ratchet 1G, and when between such teeth to reach to the bottom of the recess 18. The contact member 25, is mounted for axial movement only on the stem 21, and to this end is borne upon by a coiled spring 30, surrounding the stemQl and at its oppo site extremity abutting against a pin 31, secured in the extremity of stem 21.

The four handles 24", 24", 24, and 24, are provided each with a suitable startingpoint-indication, such as a peripheral notch, 33 and before starting the operation of setting the switch all oi these notches should be brought to similar positions, sa for instance a position pointing towar the top as shown in Fi 1. Now it will be manifest that accordmgly as the movable switch members are set so that their contact arms 28 are differently related to the starting points of rotation of the several knobs the movement of ,each knob a predetermined distance to move the contact'arm over a certain number of teeth will be requisite to bring the contact finger into engagement with the adj olning contact strip, at the point thereof exposed by one of the notches 18 of the ratchet over which the contact arm under consideration works. Obviously the possible permutations available amount to a 20 through the switch may be effected only by -a single setting out of the possible number. An appropriate casing for the switch structure is provided in any suitable fashion, that herein shown comprising a shell 40, containing the concealed portions of the mechanism and provided with a closure plate 41, suitably positioned by bolts 42, and spacing sleeves 43, and suitably apertured for the passage of the terminal wires 15, 15 to the exterior of the device. Ears 44 are provided on the casing to receive attaching screws.

One of the advantageous uses to which the structure may be put 1s for the protection of automobiles, a combination switch of the character described being embodied in one of the low voltage electrical circuitsnecessary to be closed to start the automobile engine, as for example, the ignition circuit. The operation of each switch element as the movable contact arm is rotated over the ratchet is both audible and sensible to thetouch, so that the appropriate starting position of the various knobs having been ascertained either by sight or touchthe knobs may be manipulated easily, by any person familiar with the proper combination, to.

effect the desired connection. While I have herein described specifically a single embodiment of my invention it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that its recesses above a portion of an adjacent vast number, and the closure of the circuitstationary contact, the teeth of said ratchet member lnterrupting the movement of the associated movable contact toward said recess a definite number of times.

2. In a combination electrical switch, the in combination of an insulating base, a plurality of stationary contacts mou'ntedthereon in' series succession, each contact spaced apart from the adjoining contacts, a movable contact member for cacti-stationary contact member making constant electrical connection with its stationary contact member andmovable to connect it with the adjoin= ing contact member of the series independ ent means to rotate each movable contact member, and an insulatin ratchet member associated with each move 1e contact member to divide the rotative c cle of each moveach permanently connected with and rotatable with respect to' the corresponding contact strip, a stationary insulating ratchet member associated with each stem and having a recess overlying the contact strip next ad acent to that with which the stem 1s permanently associated, a contact finger carried by and axially movable on each stem arranged to ride over the teeth of the corresponding ratchet and a spring for each movable contact surrounding the corresponding stem.. 4 1

' 4. In a combination electric switch, the combination of an insulating base, a series of stationary contacts thereon in series succession and spaced apart from each other, an insulating ratchet member fixed on the insulating base in association with each stationary contact and having a recess giving access to the next adjoining contact in the series, a rotatable stem extending centrally through each ratchet and connected electrically with the correspondi'n fixedcontact, and a movable contactcarrled by each of said stems to sweep over the ratchet teeth and make contact with the adjoining fixed contact through the appropriate recess and adjustable to different positions rotatively with respect to the stem.

5. The combination, in a device of the character described, of an insulating base, a plurality of manually movable stems extending through said insulating base, means to indicate a starting position for each stem in connection with a contact strip, a contact strip for each stem, eachs'trip insulated from the others and all connectible together to completea circuit, an insulating ratchet associated with each of said stems to expose between two of its teeth the next adjoining contact strip, and a movable contact adjustably carried by each stem and haying a lateral resilient arm to ride over the teeth for final coaction with the adjacent contact strip after passing a number of ratchet teeth beyond starting position determined by the adjustment of said contact upon its stem.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

V YORKE BURGESS. In the presence of-- W. LINN ALLEN, MARY F. ALLEN. 

